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The best NASCAR site on the web: Breaking news, drivers, races, rumors, forums, pictures, and video—with a heavy dose of attitude.Tue, 31 Mar 2015 12:10:10 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.2Finally….A NASCAR Feel Good Storyhttp://www.allleftturns.com/finally-nascar-feel-good-story/
http://www.allleftturns.com/finally-nascar-feel-good-story/#commentsTue, 08 Jul 2014 03:28:28 +0000Jimmy Machttp://www.allleftturns.com/?p=684583While some races are a thrill races, others (such as the 2014 Coke Zero 400) feel more like a family car trip from Southern Oregon to Southern California. You know the one…are we there yet? The interminable endurance test parallels the career of one Aric Almirola. My first memory of “The Cuban Missile” came from [...]

While some races are a thrill races, others (such as the 2014 Coke Zero 400) feel more like a family car trip from Southern Oregon to Southern California. You know the one…are we there yet? The interminable endurance test parallels the career of one Aric Almirola.

My first memory of “The Cuban Missile” came from a Nationwide Series race at the Milwaukee Mile in 2007. Almirola goes out and wins the pole, gets the car to the front, but because of a sponsorhip commitment, the car’s regular driver- Denny Hamlin- finishes the race. The Floridian got credit for the win, but he wasn’t even at the track for the celebration. Talk about a hollow victory.

Though he’s had success in the truck series, and did decently racing for JR Motorsports in the Nationwide Series it seems like Aric Almirola has been on the verge of success his entire career. Sunday, he finally found victory lane at Daytona. The win has a significance on several different levels.

On a personal level, Almirola is a Florida native, born 30 years ago at the Air Force base in Tampa. Growing up in the region, racing go karts since age eight, he is intimately familiar the birthplace of speed. Interestingly enough, the Air Force is one of Almirola’s sponsors. His first Sprint Cup win essentially qualifies him for his first ever chase in what has been his best NSCS to date (for all intents and purposes, this is Double A’s third full season.)

Almirola also has the distinction of piloting the famed 43 car to its first victory since 1999. The win also comes 30 years after the most famous of the 43 drivers- none other than Petty himself- got his 200th and final career win with President Ronald Reagan on hand to salute The King. Weird to think Almirola was 112 days old at the time. What is even more ironic is he is the 43rd driver to drive the 43 car, lineage that includes Petty, John Andretti, Bobby Hamilton, AJ Allmendinger and Bobby Labonte just to name a few.

It may seem like a hollow victory for Almirola, but think again of all the good cars he has run that have been wiped out in someone else’s mess, or the all the times he raced in less than competitive rides just to stay out there. From this perspective, this victory rights a lot of racing wrongs.

After weeks of writing about it, it finally happened. A longshot, Aric Almirola, won a 2014 Sprint Cup race, chaining the Chase landscape and making for a memorable and rain-shorterend weekend. Here’s the Bert Convy inspired breakdown.

Aric Almirola secures a Chase spot when he wouldn’t have received one otherwise. In Almirola’s last five starts prior to Sunday’s win, he finished 12th, 22nd, 31st, 23rd and 39th.

Now Almirola has momentum and a puncher’s chance. Dream with me.

Chicago, New Hampshire and Daytona are the first three Chase tracks. Chicago is big and fast, not like Daytona, but still fast. Dover is a short and speedy like Bristol where Almirola finished third earlier this year.

Charlotte is big and fast; Talladega is anyone’s best guess; then it’s another short track in Martinsville.

At this point, it’s house money and and a Disney inspired movie theme.

None of this happens under the old points system. Just ask David Ragan, who won this race three years ago and lost his ride at the end of that year.

Lose: Greg Biffle

Almirola became the 11th different driver to win a race. That bumps Biffle to 17th in points and on the outside of the Chase looking in at Almirola, who has 38 fewer points and one far more important victory after avoiding this mess.

And to keep the Richard Petty Motorsprots karma going, consider this: what if Marcos Ambrose wins at Watkins Glen? Ambrose was favored at the first road race of the year. RPM could have two drivers in the Chase while Kasey Kahne and Tony Stewart are racing for fun in the fall.

Draw: Nascar

Two massive wrecks and one improbable win are the type of thing that makes for great TV on a holiday weekend.

Too bad the weather stunk. Qualifying was even worse, to the point Nascar may have to adjust on the fly for Talladega qualifying.

In the end, Nascar has to feel great about Richard Petty finding his way to victory lane again. The wild car win should make for a wild run between now and Richmond.

]]>http://www.allleftturns.com/nascar-win-lose-draw-coke-zero-400/feed/0Some Have More Than A Puncher’s Chance At Daytonahttp://www.allleftturns.com/punchers-chance-daytona/
http://www.allleftturns.com/punchers-chance-daytona/#commentsThu, 03 Jul 2014 15:25:15 +0000Jimmy Machttp://www.allleftturns.com/?p=684570The sun even shines on a dog’s hiney; that’s the conventional racing wisdom on restrictor plate tracks. Wins by Michael Waltrip, Derrike Cope, David Ragan and others are often held up as evidence that Daytona and Talladega produce their share of Cinderella stories. No one will deny Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 presents an excellent opportunity [...]

The sun even shines on a dog’s hiney; that’s the conventional racing wisdom on restrictor plate tracks. Wins by Michael Waltrip, Derrike Cope, David Ragan and others are often held up as evidence that Daytona and Talladega produce their share of Cinderella stories. No one will deny Saturday’s Coke Zero 400 presents an excellent opportunity for the likes of AJ Allmedinger, Aric Almirola and David Gilliland to get that elusive first Cup points win, but know that there are drivers who have a knack for strong performances at Daytona.

To wit…..

Kyle Busch- Nothing would take the edge off of Shrub’s up and down season like a win at one of NASCAR’s signature tracks. Coming off a runner-up finish at Kentucky, the younger Busch brother has a little momentum, and he’s won here before. Busch would have had one more victory, but you may remember Tony Stewart plowing into him and taking him out in 2009. What Busch has as much or more than any other driver is what one-time Team USA Coach Bruce Arena said of soccer star Clint Dempsey “He tries (stuff).” A win here pulls Kyle closer to a front pack that currently includes Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards.

Tony Stewart- Smoke has four Cup points victories at Daytona, all in this race. He needs this win now as the new points system places the emphasis on wins for Chase qualification; so far, Stewart is 0-for-2014. Never short on a drive to win, the three-time champion has a little extra motivation this time and will do whatever it takes.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.- Conspiracy theorists will have a field day if NASCAR’s most popular driver pulls off the sweep, and sadly, that overshadows Earnhardt’s aptitude for plate racing. If you win one, you might be lucky, but EIGHT victories on plate tracks? It seems that the son of a seven-time champion who could “see air” passed on to his son a keen understanding of the draft. Not only is Junior motivated to pull even with Jimmie for the series lead in wins, he’s also eager to atone for a lackluster 26th place finish at Talladega, in part due to laying back and “playing it safe.”

Matt Kenseth- Here’s another top driver who could really benefit from a win. The 2003 champion and 2013 runner-up will want to leave nothing to chance with the door still open for several drivers to clinch Chase spots by virtue of a win. He’ll still likely get in, even without a victory; he’s Mr. Consistency, ad doggone it, he likes winning just as much as any other great driver. While Earnhardt is a student of the draft, Kenseth has a knack for survival. Three plate track wins doesn’t sound glamorous, but that’s true to the Kenseth style, but don’t you dare count him out.

Jamie McMurray- Do you know who Jamie Mac reminds me of? Those baseball sluggers who may have a low batting average but hits bucket loads of home runs. McMurray won a dramatic July, 2007 race over Kyle Busch, and he has this way of finding victory lane in high profile races. He has never made the Chase, though he had the 2010 trifecta of winning the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 and the fall race at Charlotte. Sitting in 21st place, McMurray needs a win to better his chances. Jamie, teammate Kyle Larson and Chip Ganassi Racing in general have had moments of brilliance- those are the kinds of moments he’s had a penchant for.

This just scratches the surface. Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson are threats to win at any track. Don’t count out Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer or one of the Front Row guys like Gilliland or Ragan. Don’t believe that just anyone can win at Daytona, you need the handling, some racy teammates and enough foresight to steer clear of mayhem. With all that’s at stake, there will be plenty of fireworks during the race, besides the fireworks afterwards.

Have a Happy Independence Day, and don’t forget to thank a veteran for defending your freedom.

Well, look what we have here! Mr. Clean, Jimmie Johnson, finds himself embroiled in a little controversy. Seems his team’s decision to pit and leave dancing partner Dale Earnhardt Jr. out on the track has caused him enough grief on the “Twittersphere” to elicit a response from Ol’ “Five Time”….

“I didn't leave Jr hanging, you people are crazy. When my crew tells me to pit, I pit. Steve and Chad sort out the details

And if you think either of us could have won from 25th, which is where we were at the caution, you're even more crazy.”

Welcome to the club, Jimmie. You now join Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Mark Martin as those who have drawn the ire of “The Nation.”

Well, look what we have here! Mr. Clean, Jimmie Johnson, finds himself embroiled in a little controversy. Seems his team’s decision to pit and leave dancing partner Dale Earnhardt Jr. out on the track has caused him enough grief on the “Twittersphere” to elicit a response from Ol’ “Five Time”….

“I didn’t leave Jr hanging, you people are crazy. When my crew tells me to pit, I pit. Steve and Chad sort out the details

And if you think either of us could have won from 25th, which is where we were at the caution, you’re even more crazy.”

Welcome to the club, Jimmie. You now join Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and Mark Martin as those who have drawn the ire of “The Nation.”

The question I have is this: should this have surprised anybody?

If you ask me, all this yap-yap about “dance partners” and “teammates” by the broadcast media is as overhyped as the “Big Three” in Miami. At the end of the day, auto racing is an individual sport. Junior didn’t get extra points for pushing Jimmie to the checkered flag at Talladega, and the idea one would break away from another was an eventuality.

What’s more, at this juncture of the season, Johnson isn’t a whole better off than “Lil E.” At the moment, he only has the one victory, and he’s just not dominating like we’ve seen him do before. In fact, Earnhardt is right on his heels in seventh, so Jimmie has bigger fish to fry than supporting his teammate.

Dance partners at restrictor plate tracks is as tenuous as honor among thieves. You know the stars are in a funky alignment when Kyle “Rowdy” Busch and “Bad” Brad Keselowski are drafting, and Tony Stewart is working with David Gilliland. As attrition does its job on the track, you’ll take your dance partner where you can find them. I would surely think that- given Junior’s mastery of the draft- he could have easily hooked up with Jeff Burton or any number of other drivers around him.

There’s nothing to verify that Jimmie Johnson is a truly bad teammate, but there’s little evidence to suggest that the 48 team gives as much as they get. Ask Mark Martin. I thought is was some nerve on the 48’s part to ask the 5 team to swap first and second place at Chicagoland in 2009 when it was becoming apparent the two would compete for a title. Martin gave way, but not before expressing a bit of irritation. He’s a better man than me. I would have told the champ to come on down here and get your own freakin’ bonus points!

If this is on anyone, it’s Johnson’s crew chief Chad Knaus. There’s no denying his talent for his job, but he comes across as being as cold as Travis Kvapil’s chances of winning the Chase.

It’s one thing if I get assurances of help from Mark Martin, or David Ragan’s new BFF Matt Kenseth. They may be among a very small handful I would really count on to not ditch me at the end. Otherwise, fuhgeddaboudit. The irony of this is if Junior promised you a push to Victory Lane, there’s about 99 percent chance you’d get it.

It’s a pretty back-handed compliment, but I give Johnson credit for doing what a racer is supposed to do. There’s former Coach Herm Edwards in my ear again. “You play…to win…the game. Hello?”

Personally, I think all those front runners who hung in the back like a couple of mischievous teens at church got their just desserts. Johnson wound up 20th, Earnhardt 19th and Martin was 33rd. Gordon was the only real beneficiary of the HMS “plan.”

Finally, it’s also telling that Earnhardt’s frustrations were aimed at restrictor plate racing, rather than at Jimmie Johnson. Junior’s frustrated that he needs to be dependent on anyone outside his team to win a race, and that’s pretty much how most drivers feel.

Answering my own question, I don’t know that I’d rate Jimmie Johnson as a racing saint, but I sure don’t think the guy is a bad teammate. I’m not a fan, but if I were, I’d appreciate a driver who follows the direction of his crew chief and races his guts out to get wins.

Roush Fenway Racing’s David Ragan nearly went to Victory Lane in the season-opening Daytona 500, but an ill-timed lane change led to a black flag and a disappointing 14th place finish.

Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway, Ragan was able to make up for his costly mistake and score his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory.

Partnering with teammate Matt Kenseth for the entirety of the Coke Zero 400, Ragan was able to survive three late-race wrecks and two attempts at a Green-White-Checkered finish to accomplish the feat.

“Everybody kept talking about (the Daytona 500) and I just tried to take the positive from it and move on,” he said. “I can’t thank my spotter and my crew chief and my team enough. They really humbled me and kept me focused. Matt pushed me to the finish line. The Roush Yates horsepower was great. Doug and Robert Yates back at the house, thanks for all the help. I thank the fans and Sprint. There’s not a better night to win. This is awesome.”

Ragan and Kenseth were able to take the green flag on the final GWC start lined up nose to tail, while many others jockeyed to find their drafting partner behind them.

Taking the lead, the Roush Fenway teammates were able to hold off the tandem of Joey Logano and Kasey Kahne, while two separate wrecks happened behind them on the final lap.

The win was a popular one, especially for Logano. He and Ragan raced legends cars as young drivers and have come up the ranks together.

“David and I grew up together,” Logano said. “Since I was 9 years old we’ve raced against each other. I went over to Victory Lane and congratulated him. He deserves it, for sure. I know how he felt after the (Daytona) 500 this year. I can only imagine how tough that’s got to be, you know.”

The win was also a boost for Ragan at a time when questions linger about UPS’ future with Roush Fenway Racing. Currently in negotiations, team owner Jack Roush said he was hopeful UPS would resign and believe Ragan’s win proved he could get to Victory Lane.

After the race, UPS issued the following statement:

“We’re very proud to have David Ragan as UPS Racing’s brand ambassador and are excited to congratulate him on his first win. David has a great future ahead of him and we look forward to many more trips to victory lane with him.”

“David has arrived at the upper echelon,” Roush said. “He’s a winner now. And he’s given a win to UPS, and hopefully they’ll consider that as they think about the value of the program and what it means to all their employees and what it means to their customers to have this association.”

Between some of the hijinks at Sonoma, and given the way the standings are shaping up in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, there may be as many fireworks during the race (or at least the end of it) as there is after it. Look closely at the standings, and you can see why. For some, there’s a golden opportunity to fortify their position at the front. For others, a Daytona victory may be their last best shot.

For 2010 winner Kevin Harvick, this could become “Separation Saturday.” With four wins, Happy puts two wins between himself and his nearest competitors thus far. The way this season is shaping up, that could huge.

Between some of the hijinks at Sonoma, and given the way the standings are shaping up in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, there may be as many fireworks during the race (or at least the end of it) as there is after it. Look closely at the standings, and you can see why. For some, there’s a golden opportunity to fortify their position at the front. For others, a Daytona victory may be their last best shot.

For 2010 winner Kevin Harvick, this could become “Separation Saturday.” With four wins, Happy puts two wins between himself and his nearest competitors thus far. The way this season is shaping up, that could huge.

In his rear view mirror are a trio of drivers who know a thing or two about winning at the “Cradle Of Speed:” Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon. All have been stout this season with two wins each, all have had stumbles. A win here puts the heat on Harvick; lousy finishes could mean using their two victories for a wild card berth. Guess which one they’d prefer?

Points leader Carl Edwards finds himself in a position of being what Kevin Harvick was to 2010, and Tony Stewart was to 2009: loads of consistency essentially squandered due to an absence of wins. It was Carl who pushed Trevor Bayne to his surprise victory in February, and what with the way the FR-9s are performing, he has to be seen as a front runner.

While it’s really hard to find fault with Jimmie Johnson’s performance, he still doesn’t look like the dominator of old. If the Chase starts today, the 5-time defending champ finds himself in 6th. You know that doesn’t set well with Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus, and of concern has to be the potential at a restrictor plate track to get caught up in somebody else’s mess and slip further.

Kurt Busch made huge gains with his first road course victory Sunday, now the winner of this year’s Bud Shootout and the first of the Gatorade Duels now has a chance to cross a points paying victory win off his bucket list. You know what? I wouldn’t bet against it.

Many think of Dale Earnhardt Jr. as “Mr. Restrictor Plate,” and there’s no driver out there feeling more pressure than NASCAR’s favorite son to pick off a win that would greatly enhance his Chase chances and get the monkey off his back. Clint Bowyer, 2008 Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman, 2009 Coke Zero 400 winner Tony Stewart, the venerable Mark Martin and Greg Biffle are also searching for their first wins of the current campaign. They’ve got a load of traffic trying to close on them.

The way things are going for Denny Hamlin, he may need a Daytona win just to get a wild card. A victory would seem to assure he gets in one way or another. Paul Menard, A.J. Allmendinger and Juan Pablo Montoya show just enough promise to have more than a puncher’s chance. Another really good day, and you can throw Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski and/or Joey Logano into this conversation.

For some of NASCAR’s select drivers, this race means something. For others, it means a lot- perhaps the season. You may not be able to win a championship in July, but you sure can lose one. Throw in the fact that any one of about 20 drivers can win this- in a season that has already given us Trevor Bayne, Brad Keselowski and Regan Smith as race winners- and you can only imagine what that final turn is sure to be one firecracker of a race.

NASCAR has long been known for its unconventional solutions (Car of Tomorrow's wing, the testing ban, the return of the spoiler, requiring every spotter to be nicknamed Rusty.) The latest in this trend is Driver Speed Dating. February's Daytona race demonstrated that drafting partners are key because two cars go faster than one.

With that in mind, NASCAR's elite drivers will participate in a speed dating seminar to find their perfect match for the July 2nd race.

Three days prior to the race, drivers will gather in the Allison Brothers Conference Room at Daytona to participate in a one-hour speed dating seminar. The drivers will have five minutes to get to know their "dates" and see if they'll be a good drafting partner.

Here are some tips for drivers to make the most of their Speed Dating experience.

NASCAR has long been known for its unconventional solutions (Car of Tomorrow’s wing, the testing ban, the return of the spoiler, requiring every spotter to be nicknamed Rusty.) The latest in this trend is Driver Speed Dating. February’s Daytona race demonstrated that drafting partners are key because two cars go faster than one.

With that in mind, NASCAR’s elite drivers will participate in a speed dating seminar to find their perfect match for the July 2nd race.

Three days prior to the race, drivers will gather in the Allison Brothers Conference Room at Daytona to participate in a one-hour speed dating seminar. The drivers will have five minutes to get to know their "dates" and see if they’ll be a good drafting partner.

Here are some tips for drivers to make the most of their Speed Dating experience.

Ask About Past Bump Draft Relationships

Get your date to talk about how long their last bump draft relationship was. It’s important to know if this driver is a "Wham Bam Thank You Sir" bump drafter. Look for indications that this drafter will share the load: Will they let you lead a lap? Will they share responsibility for pushing? Will he call you the next day?Getting to ‘Yes’ With Martinsville Hot Dogs

Quickly find common ground with your potential drafting partner. Open the conversation with a few things that you and your speed date are likely to agree on like double file restarts, Martinsville Hot Dogs and your mutual love of Jeff Burton’s turn on General Hospital. Finding similarities will help you get to ‘yes’ and close the deal on a drafting partner.

Butter Up To The Bayne

Find the drivers who excel in the bump draft and butter them up to push you to the front. Compliment Trevor Bayne on his Daytona 500 win or pepper Dale Earnhardt Jr. with compliments on his ability to wear hats backward.

Don’t Seem Too NeedyNobody wants to spend 500 miles next to a guy who won’t stop asking ‘Does this HANS device make my butt look fat?’ Just relax and don’t try to pressure your date into drafting with you. Drivers will pick up on your insecurity. Just like a lady, NASCAR drivers only chase the ones that run away from the pack. The key is to play coy and make them think you’re unavailable. Once a drafting partner thinks he can’t have you, they won’t rest until you say ‘yes.’

Avoid Speed Dating Turn offsWhen meeting potential drafting partners, be mindful to avoid these speed dating turn-offs:- Telling any story that ends with "…and Gilbert Arenas thinks I’m the crazy one!?!"- Excessive use of "Bro"- Saying things like "I’ll draft behind you so close, I’ll smell your farts."- Insist that you both grow mustaches for the race- Introduce yourself as Kyle Busch

After an hour and a half rain delay, Bobby Labonte – who was making his 600th career start – gave the command to fire engines. With the field set by owner points, Harvick led the 43-car field to the green and at the end the night it was the No. 29 that powered across the start-finish line first. Thanks to the rain delay and an extended red flag period, the race carried over into Sunday morning and the stars of NASCAR put on the first firework show of the Fourth of July holiday.

Saturday night’s race saw nearly half the field involved in one wreck or another, 47 lead changes among 18 drivers and nine cautions for a total of 37 laps.

After an hour and a half rain delay, Bobby Labonte – who was making his 600th career start – gave the command to fire engines. With the field set by owner points, Harvick led the 43-car field to the green and at the end the night it was the No. 29 that powered across the start-finish line first. Thanks to the rain delay and an extended red flag period, the race carried over into Sunday morning and the stars of NASCAR put on the first firework show of the Fourth of July holiday.

Saturday night’s race saw nearly half the field involved in one wreck or another, 47 lead changes among 18 drivers and nine cautions for a total of 37 laps.

For Harvick, the win was his second of the year and it helped extend his lead in the series standings. With only nine races before the start of the Chase, he trails both Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin in the win column and is now tied with Kyle and Kurt Busch.

“Same old Daytona, cars moving around and bouncing around, and handling came into play, and you saw a lot of passing and shuffling, and then there at the end we had the big wreck and we were fortunate to be in front of it,” Harvick said. “And really coming to the white I thought it was going to be the 33 (Bowyer) first and us second, and then the caution came out and we could see the white flag. I was content about that. I knew those guys needed a good day, and I knew you never know what’s going to happen on the last lap with people pushing and shoving from the back. But on the last restart, once the 24 (Gordon) pulled out and slowed those outside two lines down, that was pretty much the end of it.”

Clint Bowyer, who nearly took the white flag in the lead, wound up 17th after spinning on the final lap of the GWC finish.

As Bowyer led the field to the Start/Finish line, Sam Hornish bounced off Penske Racing teammate Kurt Busch and Richard Petty Motorsports’ Elliott Sadler to bring out the final caution of the night. Bowyer opted to restart on the outside lane with Jeff Gordon behind him, and when Gordon jumped to the outside, Bowyer was forced to abandon his run for the win. Shuffled back, Bowyer made contact with Kurt Busch and Reutimann and was sent spinning.

Entering the day 15th in the standings, Bowyer was in need of a strong finish, but his poor luck at the end cost him a chance for the win and much-needed bonus points.

“It was just one of those deals,” team owner Richard Childress said. “I feel bad for Clint and all these guys, but at the end of the day, can’t but one of those guys win, and here we are tonight. I’m just glad the way all three of them ran that we were able to come out of there with a win.”

Throughout much of the race the three RCR cars were strong frontrunners and in contention to win the race. All three of the cars – the No. 29, No. 31 and the No. 33 – led over ten laps.

“I’m just proud of everybody at RCR for all the hard work they did to get these cars going,” Childress said. “ECR engines were running great and just proud of them. Proud of Kevin. Kevin is becoming one of these guys that wins the restrictor plate races. He’s kind of like Dale, Sr.; you knew he was going to be a factor in it. To have all three RCR cars up there leading the race, racing with each other, it was really cool to watch.”

“I really felt over those last 20 laps I didn’t think they could beat us nose to tail with myself and the 33 (Bowyer), and I really thought, like I said, coming to the white, I really thought that was how we were going to finish,” Harvick said. “But we worked really well together tonight. Everybody is getting along really well (at RCR).”

The Really Big OneIt happens nearly every time the series hits the restrictor plate tracks of Daytona and Talladega, and Saturday night’s race was no different. Racing hard towards the front of the field late in the race, Kurt Busch and Jeff Burton made contact on the backstretch. The contact sent Busch sliding down the apron, as the field stacked up behind them it appeared Juan Pablo Montoya got into Brad Keselowski, who hit Reed Sorenson. Enjoying a good run up to that point, Sorenson’s No. 83 Red Bull Toyota slid down into Jimmie Johnson as the rest of the field piled in.

Once the smoke cleared, 19 cars were involved with only 13 laps remaining.

"I saw the No. 12 (Brad Keselowski) and the No. 83 (Reed Sorenson) sideways and I couldn’t tell you what else happened,” Ryan Newman said. “I just know I got pile-drived. I saw the No. 48 (Jimmie Johnson) sideways and myself sideways and up on two wheels. Right place, wrong time as usual for me. You know when the No. 48 is sideways, it probably isn’t his fault. All I saw was a blocked race track and I’m on the way to the airplane."

"I saw cars piling up in front of me,” Montoya said. “I tried down and clipped with the right front corner. There is nothing you can do. It is just one of those deals."

Carl Edwards Wrecks Another Penske CarEarlier this year in Atlanta, Carl Edwards intentionally wrecked Penske Racing’s Brad Keselowski, sending him floating through the air and hitting the wall with its roof. After racing hard to the finish with Keselowski’s teammate Kurt Busch, Edwards hit the No. 2 Dodge after the finish. The contact sent Busch into the wall and back down the track where he was hit by Mike Bliss.

Once in the garage, Edwards ran towards Busch in an attempt to discuss the incident. Busch apparently declined, telling the driver of the No. 99 Ford, “Not in front of the cameras.”

“We were just coming to the start-finish line, having a good race, and the 2 car (Busch) for some reason just turned left and hit me,” Edwards said. “I don’t know if he didn’t know I was there or if he did it on purpose, but it seems like he was just frustrated. We all get frustrated when we have a bad day, so I’m sure it’ll be no big deal.”

“It’s obvious we don’t cover racing anymore, we cover drama, but it is TNT,” Busch said. “Carl (Edwards) turned right after the start-finish line and completely destroyed our car. We’ve seen him turn right before and destroy a Penske car at Atlanta with my teammate Brad Keselowski. It’s what it is. We could have limped home in seventh and not damaged like that. That was unnecessary.”

Allmendinger Has Words With The KingPiloting the same car he ran well with in the Daytona 500, AJ Allmendinger was strong again Saturday night. Racing his way into the top-10, Allmendinger’s day took a turn for the worse when he had to avoid making contact with Kyle Busch off the exit of Turn 4.

Allmendinger cut the wheel hard to avoid the No. 18 and spun himself to the inside as a result. With water from the earlier rain still on the asphalt, Allmendinger could not keep from backing the No. 43 Ford into the inside wall.

The team made repairs and sent their driver back out on the track, but Allmendinger took it behind the wall on Lap 90. Apparently after parking his car, team owner Richard Petty attempted to talk with Allmendinger about trying to call it a day. SprintVision screens around the track showed the two in a heated discussion, with Allmendinger turning his back on Petty and storming away.

The crew got the car back out on the track and Allmendinger went on to finish 36th.

"I always say the car owner shouldn’t talk to the driver anytime after the race, especially after an accident," RPM VP Robbie Loomis said. "I think Richard’s been here so many times, he’s been through this stuff and he was just trying to get him to loosen up and let the boys do their stuff on fixing the car and getting back out there. Anytime you talk to somebody at the wrong time, it always causes discussion that needs to be worked out. That’s all that happened."

What made this incident odd was the fact TNT missed it entirely. Despite it being broadcast at the track, in the media center and on the radio, the television coverage failed to even mention the fact Allmendinger had parked the car, let alone had an argument with Richard Petty.

When our own Jay W. Pennell asked race broadcaster Kyle Petty on Twitter why there was no coverage of the incident, Petty responded by asking what had happened.

This brush up is important since Allmendinger – along with his teammates at RPM – are potential free agents for 2011. In his final year with the team, this incident may have long lasting affects if not handled properly.

“We’ll be back," Loomis said. "It’s unfortunate for AJ. He’s such a fierce competitor. I can’t describe how bad that guy wants to win and he will win. It’s just a matter of when."

Tear It UpWhile there were a number of torn up race cars at the end of the day, another thing that will be torn up following this weekend’s race is the track surface at the Daytona International Speedway. Following the February’s incident with the hole in Turns 1 and 2, track officials announced the 2.5-mile speedway would be repaved for the first time since 1979.

Driver opinion varied on the decision, but in the end Saturday’s race marked the end of an era. The first race run on that old surface was the epic 1979 Daytona 500 in which Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough wrecked one another for the lead on the final lap and Donnie’s brother Bobby stopped by the wreck after the race and a fight ensued.

Winning the race, Harvick stated he wanted a piece of the start-finish line more than the trophy.

“I think this racetrack is obviously the most historic racetrack that we race on, and I think if that asphalt could talk, you can go back and look at all the stories,” Harvick said. “But it’s just such a neat deal to be able to win the last race on that particular asphalt. It’s going to be a lot different race when we come back.

“Any time you can win, though, whether it’s new asphalt or old asphalt, it’s always going to be the baddest place to win, and that’s Daytona,” Harvick added.

Here is a look at some of the most anticipated NASCAR-branded movies coming to a theatre near you this summer.

Twilight: Eclipse of the CupAs the Chase for the Cup quickly approaches, Miss Bella Sprint Cup must choose between her boyfriend vampire Jimmie and her friendship with the werewolf Denny. While both men have five wins this season, the four-time champ is hard to resist. Any viewers should be warned that there are plenty of gratuitous shots of a shirtless Carl Edwards, even though he's not one of the main characters and nobody asked him to take off his shirt.

Here is a look at some of the most anticipated NASCAR-branded movies coming to a theatre near you this summer.

Twilight: Eclipse of the CupAs the Chase for the Cup quickly approaches, Miss Bella Sprint Cup must choose between her boyfriend vampire Jimmie and her friendship with the werewolf Denny. While both men have five wins this season, the four-time champ is hard to resist. Any viewers should be warned that there are plenty of gratuitous shots of a shirtless Carl Edwards, even though he’s not one of the main characters and nobody asked him to take off his shirt.

The B-TeamIf you have a problem, if no one else can help… try these guys. They might be able to solve it, or they might DNF and actually make your problem worse. These guys escaped from a minimum security prison to the Charlotte underground (because no one really pays particular attention and didn’t notice they had escaped). They are pretty good, but they are really just keeping the seat warm for when the A-Team gets back.

Wrecks in the City 2Boys will be boys when they are left to "have at it" in this racy sequel. Mild mannered Jeff went up to the wine country of Sonoma with his guy pals for a relaxing weekend. After a weekend of putting his bumper where it didn’t belong, Gordon ended up on everyone’s hit list.

All your favorite characters are back and they are finding themselves in more trouble than ever. The critics agree: "How bad is the car?" Asked Juan Pablo Montoya. "Have you seen Mad Max," replied Brian Patttie, his crew chief, "The car was just like that."

SaltIs Kasey Kahne Salt? Is he really a Russian spy? Or is he innocent? Is Kahne actually talented driver or just really good looking? Where will he go next year? Why is there so much fuss over Kasey when he is being out-raced by teammate Paul Menard? Why leave your job without having a place to go in 2011? Will Kahne move to Tony Stewart’s team or will Junior promote his Nationwide team up for one year? Why won’t someone tell us what this movie is really about? I don’t care and yet I’m fascinated. This movie leaves so many questions to be answered.

PredatorsFour elite drivers are left in the woods to fight it out for one last place in the Chase. The only thing we know for sure is that at the end of the movie one man will be left standing to race in the Chase and Carl Edwards will probably take his shirt off at some point and refuse to put it back on.

]]>http://www.allleftturns.com/nascar-summer-blockbusters/feed/0TALLADEGA FLIGHTS: DAYTONA’S RESTRICTOR-PLATE SEQUELhttp://www.allleftturns.com/talladega-flights-daytonas-restrictor-plate-sequel/
http://www.allleftturns.com/talladega-flights-daytonas-restrictor-plate-sequel/#commentsTue, 07 Jul 2009 22:00:00 +0000Jim McCoyThe title is different, but man, I swear I have seen this movie before. It's a case of another restrictor-plate race and another wild finish. The plot is slightly different and so are the players, but the catalyst remains the same. "Lose the plates," they say. "Wreckin' ain't racin'." Few would argue the second statement. The conflict of the story is what to do as an alternative.

Remember Bobby Allison in the "Flight of Fancy"- the 1987 Talladega action chiller? That movie ushered in the era of restrictor plates. Even though these are action movies, the producers decided to get out of the business of making horror flicks.

Reduce the power? No way. Fans already complain there are too many productions lacking action and drama.

Change the car? I suppose that could work, but remember that action legend in black? He drove the old car and put the blame squarely on the plates.

]]>The title is different, but man, I swear I have seen this movie before. It’s a case of another restrictor-plate race and another wild finish. The plot is slightly different and so are the players, but the catalyst remains the same. "Lose the plates," they say. "Wreckin’ ain’t racin’." Few would argue the second statement. The conflict of the story is what to do as an alternative.

Remember Bobby Allison in the "Flight of Fancy"- the 1987 Talladega action chiller? That movie ushered in the era of restrictor plates. Even though these are action movies, the producers decided to get out of the business of making horror flicks.

Reduce the power? No way. Fans already complain there are too many productions lacking action and drama.

Change the car? I suppose that could work, but remember that action legend in black? He drove the old car and put the blame squarely on the plates.

What else can you do? New engines would send production costs through the roof. Take out the banking and reconfigure the tracks? You might as well finish off the sport. I suppose you could conjure up the ghost of Smokey Yunick for a good sci-fi show. One problem, though. Yunick left enraged at what he perceived as prejudice against his wizardry.

What would Smokey Yunick do?

There is some good news in this story. None of the actors were seriously injured in the last two plate races.

Are we tempting fate with this kind of racing? Will the drivers eventually follow the example of their predecessors who boycotted the opening of Talladega? What will NASCAR do? Better yet, what CAN NASCAR do? (One change that absolutely has to be made is tearing the speakers off the fences at Talladega.)

The plot thickens. One suspects we’ll continue to see similar tales of suspense.